Don&#39;t Get it, Board Game of infectious diseases of the world

ABSTRACT

A board game wherein the board represents a map of the world and each of several countries are visited by the players is provided. The countries are identified by infectious diseases, and the players are challenged to identify the appropriate treatment. The players are challenged to avoid or treat infectious diseases found in particular countries of the world.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of games, and more particularly board games.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Several travel board games have been put forth by the prior art. They include:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,582 to “Geographical Travel Game” is directed to a travel game of western Europe which focuses on the sites of interest in various European cities.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,266, to “World Tour Board Game” is directed to a travel game which utilizes a bean bag toss to accumulate funds to finance the trip.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,666 to Corle, entitled “Method of Playing a Travel Board Game” is directed to a travel board game which covers the United States.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,549, to Levine, entitled “World Geography and Culture Based Game and Method.” This game comprises question cards for each country which pertain to the culture of that country. If answered correctly, the player wins a “stamp”. The first player to get stamps to all countries, wins.

Although several travel games have been put forth by the prior art, none of the prior art games are directed to or include infectious diseases of particular countries, their prevention and treatments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a board game wherein the board represents a map of the world and each of several countries are visited by the players. The countries are identified by infectious diseases, and the players are challenged to identify the appropriate treatment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a travel game wherein the players are challenged to avoid or treat infectious diseases found in particular countries of the world.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a teaching tool for players to learn about and challenge their knowledge of infectious diseases of the world and appropriate treatments therefor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents the “Vaccine Cards.”

FIG. 2 represents the first set of “Wild Cards.”

FIG. 3 represents the second set of “Wild Cards.”

FIG. 4 represents the first set of “Treatment Cards.”

FIG. 5 represents the second set of “Treatment Cards.”

FIG. 6 represents the third set of “Treatment Cards.”

FIG. 7 represents the fourth set of “Treatment Cards.”

FIG. 8 represents the first set of “Country Cards.”

FIG. 9 represents the second set of “Country Cards.”

FIG. 10 represents the third set of “Country Cards.”

FIG. 11 represents the fourth “Country Card.”

FIG. 12 represents the fifth “Country Card.”

FIG. 13 represents the game board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To play the game. each player is initially given twenty dollars of play money and at least 10 treatment cards and 4 travelers. All treatment cards are dealt at the beginning of the game. Travelers can be represented by plastic animals, or other tokens.

The game board consists of a world map with selected countries having assigned numbers. The first player is determined by any means.

To begin play, the first player rolls the dice and places her travelers on the map on any country or combination of countries with numbers totaling the number rolled. Each country has a number. Beginning the count with country number one, the player places her travelers on the board. The player can put more than one traveler on a country at one time. For example, if a player rolls a twelve, she can put one of her travelers on country number 12, or she can put one traveler on country 4, two travelers on country 3, and one traveler on country 2. One can also land all of their players on the same country, but they risk loosing all of their players thus forfeiting their game.

The player draws a card corresponding to the country landed on for each traveler. The player must answer the question correctly to continue to the next traveler. All answers are contained in an “answer book.” If the player answers questions correctly for each of her 3 travelers (without the aid of treatment, wild or vaccine cards), he or she can take one more turn. On the other hand, if a question is answered incorrectly, the traveler contracts the disease and the player must draw from the stack of “Wild cards” or from the stack of “Vaccine cards.” If the player has an appropriate Treatment card, the player may use one of his or her “Treatment cards.” If a player does not have the appropriate Treatment card, Treatment cards can be traded or bought from other players. The traveler is unable to leave that country until an appropriate solution or treatment is achieved. The first player continues in this way for all four of his or her travelers. The play then continues to the second player. The player who succeeds in bringing all 4 of their travelers around the world first, wins. There are a total of 23 countries. Traveling around the world consists of visiting or moving past all of the countries.

One of the players starts the game with an infectious disease, as noted on one of the treatment cards. This card can be passed off to another player's traveler by landing on a country where that traveler has landed. The newly infected traveler must go to the nearest hospital. Going to the hospital means missing one turn for that traveler. After missing a turn, the traveler then returns to the game and can now pass off their disease to another traveler.

The game board is a representation of a map of the world showing numbers on the countries to be visited. The hospitals are designated by the letter “H”.

The Answer Book is attached hereto as Appendix “A” and is entitled “Answer Key.”

Although this invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited thereto and various modifications including interactive and stand alone computer versions, which will become apparent to the person of ordinary skill in the art are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

ANSWER KEY 14: SAUDI-ARABIA Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

17: CHAD. Is malaria a concern in Chad

True or False True

19: ANGOLA. Is malaria a concern in Angola

True or False True 11: GERMANY

Tick-borne encephalitis 16: NIGER. I need protection against yellow fever and malaria

True or False True

18: SUDAN. Is malaria a concern

True or False True

21: All of the above 22: JAPAN. I have something affecting my brain.

Japanese Encephalitis 23: PAPA NEW GUINEA Yellow Fever 2: TEXAS Coccidiodomycosis 2: TEXAS Histoplasmosis 4: BELIZE

None of the above

1: GREENLAND

Erik the Viking decided to name it as such to attract more settlers

2: TEXAS Meningococcal Disease 3: HAITI Malaria 5: FRENCH GUIANA Yellow Fever and Malaria 6: BRAZIL Leishmaniasis 6: BRAZIL Coccidiodomycosis 7: ARGENTINA Malaria 8: UNITED KINGDOM Jacob Creutzfeld Disease 6: BRAZIL Onchoceriasis 6: BRAZIL Leishmaniasis; Shistosomiasis; Onchoceriasis 8: UNITED KINGDOM Histoplasmosis 9: ITALY

Tick-borne encephalitis

14: SAUDI-ARABIA Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

17: 17: CHAD. Is malaria a concern in Chad

True or False True

19: ANGOLA. Is malaria a concern in Angola

True or False True 15: EGYPT Filariasis

16: NIGER. Preventative medicine needed. Yellow Fever vaccine and malaria prophalaxis

18: SUDAN

18: SUDAN. Is malaria a concern

True or False True 21: CHINA

All of the above

10: NORWAY Histoplasmosis 13: CONGO Malaria 21: CHINA Scrub Typhus 12: TANZANIA Malaria 20 CAMAROON

Yellow Fever 

1. A game comprising: a board representing a map of the world, wherein countries are numbered and the countries represent the locality of a particular disease or condition; a set of Vaccine cards containing content relative to the treatment of a country-specific disease; a set of wild cards setting forth questions to be answered, tasks to be performed or coupons redeemable for play; a set of treatment cards having treatment printed thereon relative to the treatment of a country-specific disease; a set of country cards having questions printed thereon relative to a country-specific condition or disease; a set of dice; a set of travelers, which move from country to country to travel around the world; and an answer book.
 2. The game of claim 1, wherein a) the game is played by more than one player wherein the treatment cards are dealt to each player; the first player rolls the dice and places one or more travelers on the board on any country or countries with numbers totaling the number rolled on the dice; b) the player draws a country card corresponding to the country of each traveler; c) the player answers the question on the country card; the answer given by the player is compared to the answer in the answer book; if the answer is correct, the player takes another turn; if the answer is incorrect, the traveler contracts the disease listed and the player must draw from the stack of “Wild cards” or from the stack of “Vaccine cards; d) if the player has an appropriate Treatment card, the player may use one of his or her “Treatment cards;” e) if the player does not have the appropriate Treatment card, a Treatment card can be traded or bought from other players; f) the traveler is unable to leave that country until an appropriate solution or treatment is achieved; g) the first player repeats steps b) through f) for all travelers; h) the play then continues to the second player; i) the second player performs steps a) through g); j) the player who succeeds in bringing all of their travelers to all countries first, wins.
 3. The game of claim 2, further comprising: one of the players starts the game with a traveler having an infectious disease, as noted on one of the treatment cards; and wherein this “infectious disease” treatment card can be passed off to another player's traveler by landing on a country where the infected traveler has landed; the newly infected traveler must go to the nearest hospital which comprises missing one turn for that traveler, after which, the traveler then returns to the game and can now pass off their disease to another traveler.
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